Expanding toy



Feb. 13, 1962 H. COOKE 3,020,

EXPANDING TOY Filed Feb. 10. 1956 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,020,673 EXPANDING TOY Helen Cooke, 2244 N. Nottingham St., Arlington, Va.

Filed Feb. 10, 1956, Ser. No. 564,710

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-90) This invention relates to toys, such as dolls or the like, and in particular relates to a toy which will increase in size as the toy is manipulated.

In a copending application Serial Number 349,055, filed April 15, 1953, titled Growing Doll now Patent No. 2,789,393, dated April 23, 1957, I have disclosed a construction which embodies means for increasing the size of the toy as the toy is used. This application discloses an improved form of such a toy.

With the features of this invention embodied in a doll, the doll will increase in size after it is manipulated by a child over a period of time.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a toy which embodies a simple apparatus for increasing the size of the toy as the toy is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for increasing the size of the toy which can be easily associated with a toy such as a doll.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means for increasing the size of a toy such as a doll which can be embodied'in a toy without major modification of the toy and without resulting in a disfigurement of the toy. r

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device forincreasing the size of the toy which is positive in operation. 7

These and other objects and-advantages will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating a toy doll and showingthe positioning of apparatus constructed in accordance-with the invention which will increase the size'of the doll. I

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the toy of FIGURE 1 and showing the back of a knee in which a pressure increasing device constructed in accordance with the invention is embodied.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating a device constructed in accordance with the invention as embodied in a portion of the doll of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged scale sectional elevational view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged scale sectional elevational view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing a valve.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged scale elevational view similar to FIGURE 4 showing a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of yet another form of the invention.

Similar reference characters in the several views indicate similar parts.

Referring now to the drawings, reference character 10 indicates a doll in which means for increasing the size of the doll are embodied, such means 12 are shown to be positioned at the hips, knees, back, neck and shoulders of the doll.

In a doll constructed in accordance with the invention it is contemplated that as the doll is manipulated by the child the doll will increase insize. In order to accomplish this the doll is formed of rubbery material which is elastic and which can elongate as it is filled with a fluid under pressure such as air. The material will be of a rubbery nature and will be such that it can conform to shapes permanently such as are employed in dolls and other toys. There are many toys on the market which embody such rubbery material. A balloon for example can be molded into a predetermined shape and then as it expands it retains the general conformation of that shape.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it is seen that the means 12 which are employed to increase the size of the doll comprises a bellows-like pressure producing means. This bellows-like member is also illustrated in FiGURES 4 to 6. It is seen therein that the bellows comprises an upper plate 14 and a lower plate 16 placed in opposed relationship; The plates are joined together at their inner ends by a third plate 18. These plates can be formed of a rubbery material and have some degree of resiliency. It is particularly preferred that plate 18 be resilient'in order that plates 14 and 16 can move with respect to each other. The bellows is seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 in its expanded position and it is shown therein that the plates 14, '16 and '18 are united by a unitary side member 20. The latter comprises a sheet of rubbery material which can be formed with bellows folds 22-24,, and wrapped member 20 being formed of a flexible material similar to the material forming the plates 14, 16, 18 and the doll 10. This adherence of the elements can be achieved through vulcanizing or cementing.

The bellows unit thus described constitutes a compressible and expandible member and since it is resilient,

can be compressed to decrease the interior volume and when released will expand. This characteristic of the bellows is taken advantage of in the following manner:

A tubular member 26 is secured in a suitable opening in end member 18. Again the member 26 may be secured in position by Welding the rubbery member 18 thereto or by cementing. Member 26 can be formed of metal, plastic, rubbery composition or any other suit-' able material. Tubular member 26 has a central passage way 28 which constitutes an air conduit. A screen 30 is supported transversely in the air conduit as is an opposed valve seat member 3-2. These members can be mounted in the passage way in any suitable manner and can be made of a plastic material cemented within the tube. A ball valve 34 is freely movable between screen 30 and valve seat member 32. Member 32 has a spherical seat 36 with which the valve 34 is adapted to cooperate and an inlet opening 33. When ball valve 34 is seated on seat 36 opening 38 is closed. When ball valve 34 moves toward screen 30, however, the opening 38 is open. Valve 34 is of a smaller size than the passage-way 28, and when valve 34 is moved away from valve seat 36 air can move through port 38 and past screen 30;

Lower plate 16 is also provided with an opening in which a tubular inlet conduit 40 is received. Inlet con- 'duit 40 may be secured in position by vulcanizing or valve means 42 which can be constructed identically with the valve construction illustrated in FIGURE 6 p is mounted within conduit 40. The valve is different in one respect, however, in that instead of the valve seat member being mounted on the inside of the wall valve with respect to the bellows, it is mounted on the outside and the screen is positioned inwardly of the ball with respect to the bellows.

A sheet of rubbery material similar to that employed in forming the doll or employed in forming the bellows is hermetically attached to the bellows member. This sheet of material is indicated at 44 and surrounds the back 46.

Patented Feb. 13, 1962 Back 46 is, of course, formed by the side member 20. This plate 44 serves as a convenient means for mounting the bellows unit within a doll or similar toy. Furthermore, conduit 40 is supported in sheet 44 in such a manner as to be open to the exterior of whatever toy the bellows unit is placed in. It is intended that sheet 44 will form part of the exterior of the toy such as a doll. This is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4 in which sheet 44 is seen to be intimately connected to the skin 46 of the doll by means of vulcanizing or cementing as indicated at 48. When such a mounting is perfected it is seen that the bellows unit is substantially concealed within the toy and that the only thing visible from the exterior is the folds on the rear side of the bellows unit and the small opening provided by conduit 40.

FIGURE 7 shows another form of bellows unit constructed in accordance with the invention. In this unit the tubular valve unit member 26 is not mounted in the end plate. Instead valve unit 50, which can be constructed identically with unit 26, is mounted in plate 52. The latter plate corresponds with plate 14 of FIGURE 4 and inlet conduit 54 corresponds with inlet conduit 40 of FIGURE 4 with the other elements of the device illustrated in FIGURE 7 being identical with that illustrated in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a third form of the invention in which conduit 40 is not used. Instead a valve unit 26 is secured in side member Valve unit 26' is identical with unit 26 with the exception that its valve seat member and screen are reversed. Thus valve 26 unit will open while valve unit 26' closes.

The form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 7 will be preferred by some installations, particularly where the transverse or lateral dimension of the animal or other form of the toy is small at the point where the bellows unit is to be inserted.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood. by those skilled in the art that many changes in form and details of construction can be made within the scope of the appended claim, and I claim an exclusive right to all changes, modifications, and forms coming within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a toy, a body formed of a resilient expandible material, said body constituting an enclosure impervious to air, means'for forcing air under pressure into said enclosure for expanding said body, said means consisting of a bellows unit having an upper plate and a lower plate arranged in substantially spaced parallel relation, an end plate secured to said upper and lower plates, a connecting plate secured to said end plate and extending across the front and along each side of the upper and lower plates, said connecting plate being of a folded accordion pleated portion to permit the flexing of the upper and lower plates towards one another, a sheet of rubbery material secured to the upper and lower plates adjacent the front portion thereof, said rubbery material being mounted in and forming a part of said body with said bellows unit being positioned within said enclosure, a tubular conduit having one end connected with said lower plate and the other end connected to said sheet of rubbery material adjacent said body to admit air into said bellows unit, valve means positioned in said tubular conduit, and a valve-controlled conduit positioned in said end plate to provide communication between said body and unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 217,661 Wiese et al. July 15, 1879 229,563 Van Eps July 6, 1880 1,196,649 Bockstahler Aug. 29, 1916 1,200,256. Steiner Oct. 3, 1916 1,512,492 Segberg Oct. 21, 1924 1,567,973 Mendelson Dec. 29, 1925 2,592,347 Shute Apr. 8, 1952 2,593,188 Rikelman Apr. 15, 1952 2,674,064 Gassaway Apr. 6, 1954 2,698,028- Lee et al Dec. 28, 1954 2,789,393 Cooke Apr. 23, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 74,347 Germany Apr. 6, 1894 461,689 Great Britain May 15, 1935 1,085,652 France July 28, 1954 

